In Alexander G. McNutt, Governor of Mississippi v. Richard J. Bland and Benjamin G. Humphreys, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a state could sue in federal court for an alleged breach of contract by two individuals who had been appointed as agents on behalf of the state government to negotiate a loan with certain banks in New York City. The case arose when Leggett, Smith & Lawrence sued the two agents for failing to pay them commissions they were owed after negotiating a successful loan agreement between the banks and Mississippi’s governor at that time, Alexander G. McNutt. The Supreme Court held that states are not allowed to bring suit against individual citizens in federal courts because it would be inconsistent with their sovereign status under the Constitution; however, if Congress has given its consent then such suits may proceed through other means provided by law or equity jurisdiction granted by Congress itself or through special acts passed specifically authorizing such suits against individuals from particular states like this one did here regarding Mississippi's claims against these two defendants named above..

In the case of Alexander G. McNutt, Governor of Mississippi, who sues for the use of Leggett, Smith and Lawrence v. Richard J. Bland and Benjamin G. Humphreys, Chief Justice Taney wrote a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the Court had no jurisdiction over this dispute because it was not between citizens from different states or foreign countries as required by Article III Section 2 of the Constitution. He further argued that even if there were jurisdiction to hear this case then it should be dismissed on its merits since neither party had any legal right to claim title to land in question due to conflicting state laws governing land titles at issue here; thus making them both equally wronged parties with no just cause for action against each other before a federal court.